ANGLERS can enjoy fishing at two new lakes Dorchester & District Angling Society (DDAS) have created at Silverlake Dorset.

The club were told about eight years ago the four-acre lake they leased on what is now the Silverlake Estate – formerly Warmwell Quarry – would be converted into a wildlife marsh/nature reserve, and that a new lake would be provided elsewhere on the estate.

The club were given the same acreage as the old Heath Lake and asked for two lakes next to each other, producing a design for a boomerang-shaped lake and a kidney-shaped pool set within the arc of the boomerang, both with islands.

Lysander Lake for coarse fish is about three acres in size and will eventually have 35 fishing platforms, and the 1.1-acre Lucy’s Pool will have four platforms with fishing areas marked for each peg.

Lucy’s is a carp lake with common and mirror carp ranging from 4lb to 30lb – at the moment it contains 42 fast-growing carp which weighed between 4lb and 16lb when stocked about a year ago.

Steve Sudworth, retired Silverlake Estate manager and DDAS club captain, said: “They have been fed on a regular basis during this time, so we expect to see a couple of fish on the bank at around 20lb during the summer.

“We have plans to purchase a few more bigger fish at the end of 2023, depending on membership numbers and funds available.”

Lysander Lake is named after the Westland Lysander aircraft based there at RAF Warmwell in the Second World War.

Lucy’s Pool is named after Bill Lucy, a member of the club’s committee who died several years ago, who got DDAS onto the estate at a small lake at West Knighton, which was rented from the quarry company before the move to Heath Lake in 2009.

DDAS will have almost exclusive rights to the lakes but are required to provide four Silverlake guest passes a day for Lysander Lake and one for Lucy’s.

Steve said: “This is the very least we could do because the Silverlake management were totally in support of this project and assisted us enormously during the process, for which we thank them very much and hope our longstanding partnership will continue well into the future.”

He added: “For those precious few that have helped out over the past few months, DDAS thank you so much for your help and hard work.

“We couldn’t have done it without you.

“It has been a long worthwhile journey and hopefully DDAS members will reap the benefits.”

To fish the lakes and other waters DDAS have access to visit the website at www.d-das.com or email secretary@d-das.com with specific enquiries.